Sneak Peek: Touareg R50 TDI

October 8, 2007 – 9:18 am by Dan Volkens
Filed under Featured, Volkswagen Touareg

My first reaction is oooh, pretty. o_0 But whenever I see or hear about these wannabee-sports-car monster SUVs, I immediately jump to my semi-ecological-but-not-really conclusion of why do we need this? But in this case, at least they used the venerable TDI engine for this baby.

With 350 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, who could say no to a grocery getter, ahem, I mean recreational off-road vehicle, with these types of specs? Add 4MOTION all-wheel drive, überhuge wheels, some minor body styling tweaks and you have yourself a suburban winner.

* From Volkswagen’s press release:

In another world premiere for the Australian International Motor Show, Volkswagen has announced it will unveil its new Touareg R50 in Sydney next week (11 October). Developed by a team of specialists at Volkswagen Individual GmbH, the Touareg R50 is one of the most powerful SUVs in the world. While Volkswagen has yet to announce detailed specifications, it promises the R50 boasts “generous” increases on the 230kW of power and 750Nm of torque produced by the current V10 TDi model on which it is based. Bigger wheels and tyres and tweaked suspension complete the high-performance package. Volkswagen Individual GmbH has also designed new exterior and interior features to reflect the R philosophy.

The R50 is the third model to appear under Volkswagen’s sporty R label, following in the footsteps of the Golf R32 and the new Passat R36 - which was launched last month at the Frankfurt motor show. All three models have 4MOTION all-wheel drive to guarantee optimal traction.

Sneak Peek: Touareg R50 TDI
October 8, 2007 – 9:18 am by Dan Volkens